Diversify your bookshelf
thoughts on gendered awards
how to fight seasonal depression
see a5
see a4
see a7
VOL. 33, No. 5 The student publication of Washtenaw Community College
A NATIONAL PACEMAKER AWARD NEWSPAPER
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Ann Arbor, Michigan
www.washtenawvoice.com
State expands LGBT+ protections By The Washtenaw Voice
RUBY GO | WASHTENAW VOICE
Students Kristin McGough (left) and Sarah Woolsey (right) host a talk show about true crime cases from southeastern Michigan at Orchard Radio.
Tune in to students at Orchard Radio By Savan Saiya-Cork Contributor
There’s music in the air, or rather in the digital transmissions coming from the second floor of WCC’s Technical and Industrial Building in Room 233, the home of WCC’s award-winning radio station, Orchard Radio. Orchard Radio is WCC’s student-run digital radio station playing adult contemporary music. The commercial-free broadcast can be streamed through Orchard Radio’s website www. orchardradio.com 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Any student enrolled at WCC (including WTMC students) with a minimum 2.5 GPA can become a DJ or podcast host. Station Manager Ryan Ehlke says WCC’s Orchard Radio gives students a valuable experience. “We provide an opportunity for any and all students to come in and learn [about] the radio world and have a chance to host their very own radio show or podcast,” Ehlke said. While Orchard Radio is
By Willow Symonds Staff Writer
WILLOW SYMONDS | WASHTENAW VOICE
Julia Sedayao works a shift at Crumbl Cookies
Many women who contributed to our understanding of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math-
not directly associated with the Broadcast Media Arts major or WCC’s broadcasting classes, the radio station and the broadcasting programs complement each other. Students taking COM 150, “Introduction to Radio Production,” are required to host their own hour-long radio show, a requirement Orchard Radio helps students to fulfill. There are currently 10 radio shows, each hosted by a different DJ, and one podcast which is run by two WTMC students. Each student’s broadcast has its own style and subject. The current lineup of shows ranges from conventional talk shows to their newest program, “Tales From the Gripped.” Hosted by Sarah Woolsey and Kristin McGough, “Tales From the Gripped,” is a true crime show which discusses notable murders, deaths, and disappearances that took place in Southeastern Michigan. The pair has discussed cold cases from almost 100 years ago, but they also cover more recent killings which they find personally significant.
“We could have made this podcast about literally anything,” said Woolsey. “The best part is that I can just have conversations with my best friend.” Another way Orchard Radio helps WCC is by promoting various WCC clubs and events. Orchard Radio encourages clubs to contact the station to raise awareness for their organizations or special events. “Orchard Radio is a commercial-free radio station, so we do not play advertising. But the ‘advertising’ that we do is just focused on Washtenaw Community College,” Ehlke said. The training process to become a DJ is thorough but not time consuming. Training lasts from about 30 minutes to an hour depending on how familiar a student is with audio equipment. Students with prior broadcasting experience will adapt faster; however, students with no radio experience shouldn’t be intimidated at the prospect of learning how to navigate soundboards or RDS encoders. Ehlke assures the software’s ease of
use saying the program makes it easy for students to learn quickly. After a student has finished broadcasting their show, the station automatically resumes playing adult contemporary music. DJs have control over the songs during their time in the booth, but station management selects the constant flow of hit pop and rock songs from the ‘80s to the present. According to Ehlke, prospective hosts only need one thing: “The desire to have fun and just do something great with radio. Your career path doesn’t have to be radio, but just like everyone listens to shows and thinks, ‘oh I wish they’d talk about this,’ well, we’re here to give you an avenue to talk about those things.” Orchard Radio’s website is www.orchardradio.com. Students interested in hosting their own show or promoting their club can reach the station via email at radio@wccnet. edu, Station Manager Ryan Ehlke at rehlke@wccnet.edu, and Club Advisor Dena Blair at dblair@wccnet.edu.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act on Thursday, March 16, a law that prohibits discrimination related to employment, housing and public accommodations. The expansion adds new protections against discrimination for people of the LGBTQ+ community. Republican majorities in Michigan have blocked the bill since it was first introduced in 1983, said Sen. Jeremy Moss, the state’s first openly gay senator and the chief sponsor of the policy. After taking control of the Michigan House and Senate for the first time in 40 years, Democrats prioritized the expansion of the anti-dis-
Transfer easily with these steps By Jacob Kuiper Staff Writer
Transfering courses and credits between institutions is an integral part of what it means to go to WCC. Around “two-thirds” of the student body at WCC plans to transfer credits or has transferred credits in some way, according to WCC Transfer and Articulation Coordinator Kelly Holcomb. Here are her biggest tips on how to transfer to success. Figure out what you want to study When trying to transfer, the first thing you should do is try to figure out what you want to study and major in. From there you can narrow down what schools you want to look at by if they have your major or not. You can then narrow it down further by considering other factors like location. Look for course equivalencies Once you’ve narrowed
WCC’s women in STEM ematics) went unrecognized in history. The Women’s History Project spent years trying to solve the “anonymous woman” problem, leading to the U.S. Congress designating March as Women’s History Month in 1987. Today, women make up almost half of all STEM jobs in the U.S., though their presence “varies widely” across occupations and education levels, according to Pew Research Center. While only 15% of engineers identified as
women in 2016, women made up 75% of healthcare workers that same year. Women are here to stay in STEM, and more will always join the fields, including these three WCC students. Julia Sedayao, Dermatology When on campus, people may assume Julia Sedayao is the loudest person in the room. While she may have the loudest outfit, she’s typically the quietest, according to her. She described herself as “an
introvert who does extroverted things.” One of those extroverted things is getting involved in the business world. Sedayao, 19, says her natural aptitude for business makes her job at Crumbl Cookies “the right fit” for her at this stage in life. She describes herself as “a meticulous person,” a trait that becomes handy when baking cookies, managing money, and interacting with customers.
crimination law. “This moment is so long overdue and too many suffered on the journey to get here,” Moss said. “Turns out they were waiting for us. They were waiting for a legislature with the courage to stand up to hate and stand up for equality. Whitmer said the changes to the law solidify Michigan as a state that stands by fundamental rights. “We’ve proved it over and over again these past few months, whether it’s your freedom to make your own decisions about your body, your freedom to go to school or work without worrying about a mass shooting, your freedom to be who you are, love who you are,” Whitmer said.
While she loves business, she instead majors in dermatology, the practice of treating skin. When a dermatologist, she wants to see her patients once or twice a week and “make them feel amazing about themselves.” Still, she knows getting there will take receiving an associate degree and then years of studying. “Originally, business was definitely something I wanted to do, but I feel that it had a goal with an end,” she told the Voice. “As with medical
down your school choices you need to see what specific courses from your current school will transfer. These are known as “course equivalencies” and can be found on most school transfer websites. You will need to make sure that courses you are taking will be accepted as credit for your receiving institution’s classes and will count towards your major there. An amazing resource for simplifying this process is mitransfer.org. With this website you can find resources on transferring as well as see how your credits transfer and explore articulation agreements and transfer pathways. You can very quickly see how courses you have taken will transfer to dozens of participating colleges in Michigan. “It’s a nice one stop shop for transferring,” Holcomb explains.
continued on a3
[fields], there’s always a drive to keep going.” When Sedayao isn’t on campus or at work, she’s probably out taking photos. These pictures range from close-ups of still life or drone photos of nighttime freeways from far above. “It’s never been more than [a hobby] – it’s just something I’m good at,” said Sedayao. “People are always the first to hand me their phone for a picture.” Sedayao wouldn’t call photography, business, or dermatology “escapism,” but she does believe the technical arts and the hard sciences have made her life more interesting.
continued on a3